Wayward Wanderer
by elfmaiden4legs
Summary: Ianto has been waiting for Jack since he mysteriously disappeared from the hub during the finale of 'End of Days'... but when Jack does finally return how will he deal with that which he has been waiting for for so long?


**Wayward Wa****nderer**

**OK so this is something that I've been working on for a while now, but have only just got round to completing. As usual please don't forget to REVIEW!**

**I appologise for the poor use of grammer and some very long sentences in parts, this is one aspect of my writing which I do need to work on, so any advice in this department would be most welcome... NO FLAMES!**

**Enjoy!**

It had proven to be a relatively uneventful afternoon for Ianto as he proceeded to busy himself tidying the front desk of their Torchwood headquarters, looking forward to finally being able to lock up for the evening, as his working day drew to a close.

Jack had been missing for almost a month now and despite receiving the occasional clue that he was still very much alive and out there somewhere the four remaining members of his once well disciplined team had finally had to resign themselves to the fact that the one man who had once inspired them, pushed their loyalties and stretched their physical boundaries further than even they had ever considered themselves capable of, had for some reason now abandoned them… and that they may never see him again.

Owen had suggested some kind of a breakdown after Jack's recent conflict with Abadon. It had been a traumatic experience for all involved, but had left Jack significantly weakened and drained… a prime trigger of illness and even instability Owen had claimed one evening, after yet another unsuccessful day spent searching for him. Although nobody had wanted to or even seemed able to bring themselves to believe this of their Captain and he had quickly dropped the subject.

It had taken Gwen a while to finally work up the courage to tell the rest of the team what Jack had told her about his relationship with the Doctor… the man whom they had all heard of yet still knew very little about. It had cut her deeply to know that Jack's confidence was being betrayed at they very time they needed to keep his spirit and strong work ethic alive. But she had figured that if she could provide any information which may be of use to them in their search for him, any means would be worth it in the end if it offered them even the slightest hope of getting him back.

As it turned out things hadn't proven so easy however. The launch of the mysterious 'Vote Saxon' campaign had seen to that. A mysterious influx of extraterrestrial sightings commencing almost simultaneously, and forcing them to put the search for their Captain on hold as report after report came flooding into the base requesting their investigation. Jamming up their systems and climaxing in an unexpected research trip to the Himalayas, and their first real contact with Jack since his initial disappearance… a blank phone message transmitted to the hub sometime during their absence.

Then, it felt nothing more than a dream now, everything had come to a sudden standstill, the Saxon campaign had turned cold, a funny feeling passed over them all as though the past few days had only been the tip of a much greater iceberg… and they hadn't heard anything from Jack since.

Now Ianto looked despairingly over at the unlocked door, leading out onto the Bay and the pier outside, just as he had done so every evening at about this time for the past four weeks. Watching, waiting… no hoping that he would see Jack come striding through it's battered old frame, as he had done so many times before. Putting off locking up for the evening as long as he possibly could, just in case Jack happened to have forgotten his hub key in his haste to get out and away to whatever, or, in more likelihood whoever it was that had drawn him away from them so urgently.

But every evening he would be left broken hearted, and he had grown to expect every night to be just like any other… which is why he was surprised to hear the distinct clatter and slam of the reception door go as he turned to remove the large set of heavy, metal keys from the front desk only a moment or two later.

It felt as though he had been waiting so long for this moment, but had denied himself the respite of belief for equal measure that he didn't dare turn around now. Yet something within him, a deep longing and desperation to finally rid himself of this pain urged him to tilt his head sideways, just a little at first… and then a little more in order to at least catch a glimpse of who now stood behind him.

His hands shook apprehensively, his breath catching in his throat. But as he caught sight of the trade mark long, great greatcoat which he had come to know so well over the past number of years, his Captain's face beaming back at him, his eyes began to well with suppressed emotion as an acid lump began to form and burn in his throat rendering him speechless.

"Hello Ianto." Jack grinned, but Ianto couldn't respond. "It's alright." Jack continued after a moment. "I understand."

"But sir…" Ianto faltered after a while of silence between them, finally allowing the tears he cried to overwhelm him. It was only once he had given himself time to recover from the initial shock that he found himself taking in the rest of Jack's appearance. He looked healthy enough, as though he may have allowed himself a few square meals and a regular nights rest since he had left, which was something. But as he looked closer he noticed the rig of purple bruising poking out from beneath the sleeves of Jack's greatcoat, marking his wrists… and a certain something different about the young Captain's demeanour, which made his appear more haunted, yet somehow more at peace with himself than before, which he couldn't quite place.

His cheeks slapped and paled by the bitter breeze outside and looking much more youthful, with a childlike and cheeky glint behind his eyes which he gave the impression of a naughty school boy charm, which Ianto had for a long time thought to be lost to Jack under most circumstances.

"I'm sorry Ianto." Jack continued, as he stepped further into the small room. "I'm… so sorry."

But Ianto's feelings of loss were beginning to give way to anger now as he suddenly found himself unable to draw his gaze away from Jack's face. After so many evenings left to himself, with time abundant to dwell upon this very moment, nothing was now unfolding as Ianto had planned and seeming to sense the gathering tension between them Jack's focus began to wonder aimlessly around the room, homing in on the welcoming familiarity of every corner, every singularly normal detail, and every object in turn, before cautiously changing the subject.

"How long have I been gone?" He asked at last.

"Nearly a month." Ianto responded. "Give or take a few days. Where have you been all this time anyway?"

"That doesn't matter now." Jack sighed. "It was personal."

"No Jack it does matter!" Ianto was surprised to suddenly find himself loosing control of his emotions. "It matters to me. You left us… we waited for you every day Jack."

"I know. There's a lot that I need to explain to you all, but now is neither the time or the place Ianto." Jack spoke with raised eyebrows, and for the first time since his reappearance Ianto was suddenly reminded that despite his recent absence Jack was still their Captain and he'd do well to remember his place. His temper steadily receding, he found it strangely comforting under the circumstances. Wiping the tears from his eyes Ianto was therefore further surprised to feel the firm grip of his Captain as he took him by the hand.

"I need to get something to tend t those bruises." He pointed out furtively as he pulled away. "I'll be back in a minute."

When Ianto finally returned a few moments later however, carrying a clear bowl full to brimming with cold water and ice, he seemed much more obliged to talk.

"We know a lot more about you now than you realise." He spoke without malice as he looked up into Jack's eyes, although he no longer wanted to make him suffer for leaving them under the circumstances which he had. Jack simply nodded.

"Gwen told us all about the Doctor." He blurted at last, unable to contain himself any longer. "Is he the reason why you left us all?"

At this he had expected Jack to flinch, or at least show some sign of reaction in light of this new information, but to his surprise his Captain didn't even look at him. He simply stood there in silent contemplation, as though trying to decide how exactly he was to answer this question. "Yes." He answered quite plainly at last. Either choosing to ignore or failing to notice the look that Ianto gave him in response.

"Then why?" Ianto demanded.

"I… I love him." Jack spoke at last.

At this Ianto looked slightly hurt. "Oh…" was all he could bring himself to say. All his previous anger towards his Captain evaporating now as he applied more of the icy water to Jack's bruised and swollen wrists. "I thought…"

"But I made my choice." Jack continued as he in turn looked deep into Ianto's handsome yet still painfully lonely eyes. "He asked me to stay with him, but I came back. I made my decision Ianto. I chose you." He concluded, as to Ianto's surprise he was suddenly pulled into a passionate embrace, Jack letting his lips feel for Ianto's own and his tongue explore every detail of the other man's mouth, until he felt Ianto's tongue touching his in return and they both found themselves stood there, their bodies held tight in each others arms unsure of where to go next yet not wanting to disrupt the electricity of the moment. Finally however it was Ianto who, to his own surprise, found himself making the first move.

"Then we'd better make your decision worth while hadn't we sir?" He grinned as he gently took Jack's hand and led him off in the direction of the Captain's office, perfectly preserved in the event of his return.

As they walked away Jack began to question why he really had come back. He loved the Doctor more than he would ever let anybody know, but he had known that if he stayed the Doctor could never bring himself to love hi in return. Over the past year he had managed to re-establish the bond of friendship which he had once shared with the Timelord, along with a new found sense of mutual trust and acceptance. Too much had changed since the first time he had met the Doctor and Rose back during a period when his life had been, in many ways, so much easier, and yet in many more so much more difficult than it was now. He had responsibilities, and for once in his life Jack was determined to for fill them… Besides he knew that Ianto would be waiting for him, and if there really was nothing the Doctor could do about the issue with his immortality he figured that he was already long overdue somebody who could show him some genuine affection.

He knew that he and the Doctor would cross paths again someday, if not during this odd little life of his then another. As two men united by an eternal existence, watching as the world they knew altered irreversibly year by year, through all their hellos and eventually having to say goodbye whilst they themselves knew that they must both live on empty and alone, he now felt more than ever that their pain would somehow reunite them again someday… and for Jack that at least for the moment was enough, for he knew that when that time came he would be ready, ready to join the Doctor again, and this time it would be forever.

**_end._**


End file.
